Mothering Sunday....UK.

In England Mothering Sunday Is celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. It is actually a Christian holiday. Children and young people who were "in service" were given a day off on that date so they could visit their families and go back to their local church. The children would pick wild flowers along the way to place in the church or give to their mothers. Eventually, the religious tradition evolved into the Mothering Sunday secular tradition of giving gifts to mothers. That was what I found on Wikipedia. It has been tradition since the 16th century.
America celebrates at a different time, sometime in May and maybe that's because it has never been a Christian holiday here? More a Hallmark holiday?
My mother has been gone now since 1991. She was 71. When I first began work, or I should say when I earned my own money I would often go to Luton market and buy her flowers. This was my favourite combination. Blue Iris and Mimosa. I have never seen Mimosa in the US. I am sure you can grow it in warmer climates than Michigan.
Once I got over here I could never remember Mothers day because here it's in May so it was difficult to remember. Thats not a good reason really. I suppose if I am honest I never really felt like remembering it too often. I don't want to say that we were not close, but........a lot of times we were not. Some day I may write about that. Not today though. Today I am remembering Mothering Sunday and saying thank you for all the good things that we did have. We who are Mothers know that it is not an easy job being a Mother, often thankless. It's easy to remember the things that were wrong in relationships but there really is no point in that. Children do not come with a manual and I believe most Mothers do the best they can within their own personality and life experiences. I know that now my children are grown, now I have gained more life experiences and learned more about life and relationships and how they effect others, I can sympathise more with choices my own Mother made. I can see her as a woman who was not happy in her own life. Well anyway.............Happy Mothering Sunday to all Mothers everywhere. Be Happy.........even if you don't get breakfast in bed or receive flowers and chocolates. Celebrate it yourself you deserve it.

Ambrosia Salad.............

I have never made ambrosia salad before. I have made cool whip deserts with pistachio and cool whip and marshmallows but not this recipe.
It was awesome. It called for pasta and it was rather weird to think of pasta in a desert. Then I thought about tapioca. SO I bought all the ingredients I would need to make it.
You will need..........

1 Cup of sugar
2 tblesp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice (reserved from cans)
2 eggs
1 tblesp lemon juice
1 cup of tiny pasta cooked and drained. I used Acini de pepe but you could use the tiny stars.
3 11oz cans of mandarin oranges (drained)
2 20oz cans of pineapple tidbits (drained)
1 20oz can of crushed pineapple. (drained)
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup of coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream (whipped)
1/4 cup plus 1 tblesp of powdered sugar.
Directions..........
Open and drain the pineapples. Keep the juice. Open and drain the oranges.
In a medium sauce pan combine the pineapple juice (1 3/4 cups) flour, sugar and salt. Medium heat. Whip in 2 eggs. Boil stirring constantly 1 or 2 mins. The sauce will thicken. When it has thickened remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juuce,
Set aside to cool.

Cook the pasta, drain and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the pineapple and oranges (drained) coconut and pasta (when cool) add marshmallows then pour the cooled sauce over and mix well.

With an electric whisk whip the cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks appear. Make it really thick. Then fold into the fruit mixture. Cool overnight in the fridge.

The pasta really makes it special. I just loved this desert and so did everyone else. It didn't last long.

Lasagna ......

I was shopping for pasta today and I thought we had not had Lasagna for a long time. SO that is what we had for supper. I made a quick version. I would normally make my own sauce but used a spaghetti sauce instead. So this is what I used....

I sprayed the dish first this time around, I put some sauce on the bottom and then a layer of noodles. I used Ragu with mushrooms adding some chives and parsley and garlic salt I added that to cooked hamburger. I always use Angus beef and not really hamburger. I would normally make my own sauce from scratch but wanted a quick dinner this time.

I then added some of the meat mix to the noodles. Then another layer of noodles


Next a layer of cheese, Ricotta. I sometimes use cottage cheese as well but this time I didn't, I put in some mozzarella instead.

It's really a matter of just layering everything until its all used up. Then on the top a good thick layer of Mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350 until the cheese is brown and crunchy. Yum, cheese.

Its delicious

Salmon patties..........

Yesterday we had some really nice Salmon for supper. I cooked asparagus and Portabella mushrooms with some sweet peppers and rice. Well there was a lot left over even after 4 hungry adults had their way with it. So today I could not let that go to waste. I cooked up and mashed some potatoes and mixed that with the Salmon.

The salmon was cooked with chives and a few onions and seasoning so I really didn't need to add anything to it for seasoning. I tasted it and it was good. I could have just eaten the bowl full just as it was.
Next I rolled handfuls into bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Now this Panko breadcrumbs is great stuff. I will have to get some more and see what other flavours they have.

This one is Italian Herb and I put the cheese in with it. Rolled the patties in it and put them on a baking sheet. Oven 350 took longer than I expected.

I made the patties quite big and had plenty of breadcrumbs on them.

I had enough to make two batches. Two trays

Next time I would fry them, they would be a bit crunchier on the outside. This way though, no grease. They were good and very tasty. I have enough for at least another meal and maybe a lunch. As they are already baked it wont take long.

More thrifties............

One of the things I have been collecting is plates. We stopped at the thrift store where I found my other bargains. These are 4 of the plates that I got this time. These I do think I will use in the garden, not yet sure how. But I have found some nice blue and white ones that I am thinking I will use in the new blue bedroom when its done.There are two with Lavender on them and so I am thinking that I will attach those to something to put in the Lavender pots.

This is what I have made so far with what I got last time. It will be a bird bath for the front garden maybe.....I may add to it but not yet sure.

Some of the things I found this time were blue and white.

So what do I do with these?




All of those combinations......but I think I may keep it inside and make it into a plant holder.

I think I like the big plate on the top and to use it to hold a plant like an ivy or something like that. What do you think?
I also found this sweet little tea pot. This also may stay inside. I am going to try hard to lighten up my colours at some point. My olive dining room needs to be a lighter green and although I will keep my same colours through the house, I need to repaint and I want to go lighter.


I also found this little tin angel who will live outside. Probably as a part of one of my creations.

Well.........this has to stop. I could buy garden ornaments already made for what I have spent at the thrift stores. Then again, I now have a collection of blue plates and they will make a nice wall display for the new blue bedroom.


Also sharing with Lavender Cottage

Garlic Bread.......

A few weeks ago (before the flood) I made some bread. I froze the French bread for later. I had not thought it through and just made bread. Well yesterday I made chili. I got the bread out of the freezer and made garlic bread to go with the Chili.
It was sooooooo good.

I mixed some butter, garlic, garlic powder and parmesan cheese together and spread it on the bread. I sliced the bread through the middle, opened it up and spread it. I baked at 350 till almost done and then grilled it for 5 mins until golden and crunchy.


I then cut it into chunks to go with the chili.


The Chili was awesome, I don't care if I do say so myself but I make awesome chili, everyone says so...........

I was so full, I wished I could eat more but phew.......I couldn't eat another crumb.

Todays treasures..............

Today I was able to stop at Goodwill again, the place I found my last hoard of treasures. Today I found more...........

One of the things I have been looking for were cups and saucers. They had to be pretty but not so pretty that I would want to keep them. So, these 3 that I found are perfect. One will be a bird feeder. One will be a pincushion. That is if it works as planned.


The other things I found also have uses eventually. The glass is for making bird baths and garden ornaments. Stacked one on the other into towers and platforms to hold water or seeds. The red vase is tall enough to be a base.

I will maybe use the silver bowl I found last time as the top. Maybe put some red jewels around its edge to make it work. I also found this beautiful bowl. Its very heavy and so had to have been a good one. That I will keep because its in perfect condition and I like it. A small fruit bowl maybe. It could be crystal I don't know, but if its not then its leaded glass for sure.

The rest of the glass things will either be kept because I use a lot of glass dishes or will go towards my craft projects.


Then to top off the plates that make the top of the bird feeders I found an angel

She will look pretty topping a garden ornament I think. Then for the house I found this lovely yellow dish.


I got another pitcher. I don't know what I want to do with it, its pretty. I could use it as a planter or keep to use for gravy maybe at Thanksgiving. Not sure about this one. I may just put it in the cupboard haha.

I seem to be collecting roosters.I do not know why and it was not before this, something I intended. I am liking them though and already have two. Then last time I found the pitcher with rooster on it and the plate. This is this weeks find

These I got for Tristen at 1.99 each. He will love them.

Then there is this............OK, no idea what I will do with her. The bedroom I am planning downstairs is blue maybe she will look good there.

The other two things I found were angels. Both planters. The larger one will go on Alex grave with some flowers planted in them. The smaller one, well that I am not sure, its not really much of a planter but maybe an ivy, wont be good on the grave as it would dry out too quick. It would hold bird seed though or water in a garden ornament, so I got that one anyway.


Well I think that might be all that I found today, oh and I got two tops for wearing around the house. Not bad for an off chance afternoon thrift.
Linking up with Mosaic Monday
and also with Nifty Thrifty Sunday